Newcastle vs. Arsenal
Venue: St James’ Park
Kick off: 3PM
Arsenal will be looking to maintain their upward trajectory when they make the trip north to face Newcastle United at St James’ Park this afternoon.
The Gunners have recovered from a disappointing start to the season that saw them lose successive matches by winning two on the spin, leaving them just inside the top half of the table.
While Arsenal have managed to find some momentum in recent weeks, Newcastle are still waiting for lift-off in their second season back in the Premier League.
The Magpies’ only point from a possible 12 so far came away at fellow winless side Cardiff City, having suffered defeats either side to Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester City.
All three of those defeats to last season’s top five sides came by a one-goal margin, and this afternoon’s clash marks the end of what has been an extremely tough opening month to the campaign for Rafael Benitez.
After losing six in a row against Arsenal in the Premier League, Benitez has since won two of his last three in all competitions, giving hope that this could be the fixture that kickstarts his side’s season.
On the other hand, Arsenal are, in the words of their Spanish boss, Unai Emery “evolving” following a period of stagnation under Arsene Wenger, and the facts and figures show that the Gunners are covering more distance than ever.
With a run of four successive home games to come in all competitions, Emery now needs his players to show their mental toughness in escaping from St James’ Park with maximum points. Anything less and the same old questions will surely be asked.
Newcastle United possible XI: Dubravka, Yedlin, Schar, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Murphy, Diame, Shelvey, Kenedy, Rondon.
Arsenal possible XI: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Ozil, Ramsey, Aubameyang, Lacazette.
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